Its Still Good Advice!

I Corinthians 13

1co 13:1	If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.
1co 13:2	And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.
1co 13:3	And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.
1co 13:4	Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
1co 13:5	Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;
1co 13:6	It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;
1co 13:7	Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
1co 13:8	Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.
1co 13:9	For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
1co 13:10	But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
1co 13:11	When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.
1co 13:12	For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.
1co 13:13	But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Facebook-A Witnessing Tool?

Facebook-A Witnessing Tool?

"On February 4th, 2004 Mark Zuckerberg launched The Facebook, a social network that was at the time exclusively for Harvard students. It was a huge hit: in 2 weeks, half of the schools in the Boston area began demanding a Facebook network. Zuckerberg immediately recruited his friends Dustin Moskowitz and Chris Hughes to help build Facebook, and within four months, Facebook added 30 more college networks.

The original idea for the term Facebook came from Zuckerberg’s high school (Phillips Exeter Academy). The Exeter Face Book was passed around to every student as a way for students to get to know their classmates for the following year. It was a physical paper book until Zuckerberg brought it to the internet.

Over 1 million new users signed up every week, 200,000 daily, totaling over 50 million active users. Facebook received 40 billion page views a month. Long gone were the days of Facebook as a social network for college students. 11% of users are over the age of 35, and the fastest growing demographic is users over 30. Facebook has also seen huge growth internationally; 15% of the user base is in Canada. Facebook users’ passion, or addiction, to the site is unparalleled: more than half use the product every single day and users spend an average of 19 minutes a day on Facebook. Facebook is 6th most trafficked site in the US and top photo sharing site with 4.1 billion photos uploaded. "

This Brings me back to the question at the beginning. Have you thought of Facebook as a witnessing tool? Many people have. Its easy to set up an account. Its free. People can only have access to your page and info if you approve them. You control what information is available to others. We hear many horror stories about this or that. Truth is, if someone wanted to "stalk" you, they can usually find you in the phone book.

I've been able to connect with old friends I haven't seen in years and meet new ones with similar church and networking interests. Some of my friends are Christians and/or pastors. Some are not. What a great way for unchurched friends to be exposed to those who are, as many churches are in an individuals profile or favorites page.Most people I know with a Facebook page also post church events and Bible verses from time to time. Jesus told us to be the salt and light in this world. I believe that he would want us to use any and all means at our disposal while we have the opportunity. With all the recent attacks on free speech, we don't know how long these opportunities will be available. That's something to think about.(To check out my page, just click on my name above my Facebook badge in the left-hand column of this page.) ...God bless, keith 1 Cor 13

Suzzana Wesley's Rules for Raising Children

Rules for Raising Children
(Author Unknown)
Suzanna Wesley was the mother of nineteen children, among them were John and Charles Wesley. It has been said that the Methodist faith was born on the lap of a mother, Suzanne Wesley.
She spent one hour each day in prayer. That's seven hours each week! She spent one hour per week with each child individually imparting spiritual life and wisdom. That's nineteen hours!
Suzanna Wesley over two hundred years ago formulated sixteen rules for raising children. They are still pretty good rules!

1. Eating between meals is not allowed.
2. As children, they are to be in bed by 8 pm.
3. They are required to take medicine without complaining.
4. They are to subdue their self-will so that they might be open to God's salvation.
5. Teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.
6. Require all to be still during Family Worship.
7. Give them nothing they cry for, and only that which they ask for politely.
8. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented.
9. Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.
10. Never punish a child twice for a single offense.
11. Commend and reward good behavior.
12. Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed should be commended.
13. Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.
14. Strictly observe all promises.
15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.
16. Teach children to reverence God.

One of Suzanna Wesley's prayers gives a glimpse of her faith:
"Help me, Lord, to remember that religion is not to be confined to the church, or closet, nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but that everywhere I am in Your presence... May all things instruct me and afford me an opportunity of exercising some goodness and daily learning and growing toward Your likeness."
Although she lived two hundred years ago, Suzanna's faith lives on today. The important things in life have not changed. It still matters that parents stay in the Lord and spend their lives leading children to do the same.

Standing Still Before the Lord

By Keith Kiper

Reprinted from God's Revivalist & Bible Advocate

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today;for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.” Exodus 14:13

We are living in an era of ever increasing fear and tension. We are afraid to leave home without locking our houses. We are afraid to help people because of lawsuits. We can’t fly overseas without the threat of a terrorist hijacking.
With all our technology and education we are not really much different than people in Moses’ day. We tell others to trust in Jesus, what seminars they should attend, even what scriptures they should use to overcome trials and temptations.
Why is it then, that when things start going wrong for us; we so many times run to our doctors, our counselors, and our prescriptions. Why don’t we seek the wisdom and counsel of the Lord?
Part of the answer to that question could be that we live in a time when everything is readily obtained. We have instant coffee, instant meals, and even instant pictures. We want it all: RIGHT NOW, if not sooner. In short, we are not willing to stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.
Standing still before the Lord involves more effort than many people are willing to put forth to seek God’s will. We want to make formulas out of scripture verse to fit our particular situations, hoping again for that “instant” cure to our problems. It becomes easy to use our salvation as a fire escape from hell, using it when we need it, rather than as a total way of life affecting every thought and every decision.
Standing still before the Lord may involve intense prayer and fasting to seek guidance in a situation.
Aside from definite decisions about particular situations, we need to learn the value of standing still before the Lord to help us in our everyday living, working, and playing.
Standing still before the Lord involves a daily time of prayer and communion with Him. We will find that our days will go better and our ministries will become more fruitful if we put that time of waiting before Him as the first priority in our lives and as the first thing on our agenda for each day.
Jesus told His disciples that without Him they could do nothing. Even Jesus waited before the Lord for 40 days in prayer and fasting. This should say it all for us.
I challenge you, wait upon and stand still before the Lord. The fears and tensions will leave you and you will find yourself involved in a more effective ministry for Him, whatever your place is in God’s plan..

This was first published in the September 1986 Issue of God's Revivalist. I was going through a time of testing. I had ministry decisions to make, and Vicky and I were going through the process of waiting for the adoption of a child. God gave me this article and it was then published by God’s Revivalist in the September 1986 issues.
Recently, some 20 years later, I found I had colon cancer. After a testing of my faith, I found the promises God have given me then to still be true. With all the economic turmoil going on in the world around us, I feel the truths God gave me then still applies today.

Please send me any articles, poems, or testimonies you may have...keith 1 Cor 13

Lasting Hope Comes From Above

I read this today in Spurgeon’s morning readings taken from Psalm 62.We as Wesleyans would not agree with Spurgeon on all theological points, but he still offers some good advice. It is still up to date and applicable to our financial “crisis.”

Spurgeon's Daily Reading Psalm 62:5
My expectation is from Him.
“It is the believer's privilege to use this language. If he is looking for aught from the world, it is a poor "expectation" indeed. But if he looks to God for the supply of his wants, whether in temporal or spiritual blessings, his expectation" will not be a vain one. Constantly he may draw from the bank of faith, and get his need supplied out of the riches of God's lovingkindness. This I know, I had rather have God for my banker than all the Rothschilds. My Lord never fails to honour His promises; and when we bring them to His throne, He never sends them back unanswered. Therefore I will wait only at His door, for He ever opens it with the hand of munificent grace. At this hour I will try Him anew. But we have "expectations" beyond this life. We shall die soon; and then our "expectation is from Him." Do we not expect that when we lie upon the bed of sickness He will send angels to carry us to His bosom? We believe that when the pulse is faint, and the heart heaves heavily, some angelic messenger shall stand and look with loving eyes upon us, and whisper, "Sister spirit, come away!" As we approach the heavenly gate, we expect to hear the welcome invitation, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." We are expecting harps of gold and crowns of glory; we are hoping soon to be amongst the multitude of shining ones before the throne; we are looking forward and longing for the time when we shall be like our glorious Lord--for "We shall see Him as He is." Then if these be thine "expectations," O my soul, live for God; live with the desire and resolve to glorify Him from whom cometh all thy supplies, and of whose grace in thy election, redemption, and calling, it is that thou hast any "expectation" of coming glory.”…keith 1 Cor 13